KARACHI, 15 June 2004 — Pakistan have invited Sri Lanka to take part in a triangular one-day tournament in October in a bid to raise revenues after the cancellation of a Test series with Zimbabwe.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said yesterday talks had already been held and the Sri Lankan board had shown an interest. Zimbabwe would be the third side.

“Hopefully, we will soon finalize the dates for the triangular series. We feel that we need a third team to evoke interest...and also to make some financial gains,” Khan told Reuters.

Pakistan had planned to replace the Test series with six one-dayers against Zimbabwe, but Khan added: “Zimbabwe are going through a crisis and they don’t have their best players. Playing a bilateral series with them would make it difficult for us to sell the matches and make money from the series.

The International Cricket Council announced last month that Zimbabwe would not play Tests for the rest of the year after 15 of their top players walked out following a selection row, leaving the team severely weakened.

Warne Still Has Chance of Playing Against Sri Lanka

In Melbourne, Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne has been given an even chance of playing in next month’s Test series with Sri Lanka after doctors said he would not require surgery on his broken hand.

Warne broke the metacarpal bone in his hand while batting for English county side Hampshire against Essex on Friday but the injury is not as bad as it first appeared.

“Shane consulted with a hand specialist in England overnight and the pleasing news is that he won’t require surgery,” the Australian team doctor Trefor James said in a statement. “In consultation with the medicos at Hampshire, we will be doing everything possible to speed his recovery but at this stage it appears as if he is a 50-50 prospect of being available.”

Australia’s chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said Warne would be given every chance to prove his fitness but would be ruled out if he did not recover in time.

“As selectors all we can do is be guided by the advice of our medical staff,” Hohns said.

“Shane will be doing everything he can to get himself right and we will give him as much time to do that as possible, but if he isn’t 100 percent fit then he won’t be selected.”